A tragic crash between a passenger bus and a truck on a freeway in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, claimed the lives of 37 individuals early Saturday morning, officers reported. The accident occurred on the freeway close to the town of Teofilo Otoni, leaving 13 others injured and rushed to close by hospitals. The bus, which had departed from São Paulo, was carrying 45 passengers on the time of the collision.
In line with the Minas Gerais hearth division, rescue operations have been swiftly carried out, and all victims have been faraway from the accident website. Preliminary reviews from witnesses recommend that the bus blew a tire, inflicting the driving force to lose management and collide with a truck. Nonetheless, some witnesses additionally reported {that a} granite block could have struck the bus, contributing to the crash.
Along with the bus and truck collision, a automobile with three passengers was additionally concerned within the accident, although, miraculously, all three passengers within the automobile survived.
Governor Romeu Zema expressed his condolences and ordered full mobilisation of the Minas Gerais authorities to help the victims and their households. In a submit on X, he mentioned, “We’re working to make sure that households of the victims are supported to face this tragedy in probably the most humane manner attainable, particularly because it comes simply earlier than Christmas.”
The crash provides to the grim toll of visitors accidents in Brazil. In line with the Ministry of Transportation, greater than 10,000 individuals have died in visitors accidents throughout the nation in 2024 alone. This 12 months has seen a number of different deadly crashes, together with a September incident through which a bus carrying a soccer group overturned, killing three individuals.
As investigations proceed into the reason for the crash, the state authorities and native authorities are centered on offering help to the victims’ households within the wake of this devastating tragedy.
(Inputs from AP)